Spent the Weekend Making Button Jewelry

Sunday, June 29

With June almost gone, I wanted to make a few more pieces of button jewelry before the end of Button Month.

Here’s what I made.

Burgundy Pin & Earring Set

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Earrings in beige, brown and blue

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Earrings in blue, yellow and pink

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Earrings in beige, brown and orange

These pieces are all lightweight. They will be available in my Etsy Shop shortly.

I am now taking a rest break. Opening and closing jump rings is hard work!!

 

July 4th, Sparkle With Buttons

Sunday, June 29

With July almost here I started thinking about July 4th and decided to make a button bracelet in red, white and blue.

I have lots and lots of buttons in all different sizes but wanted to use up some of my smaller buttons. I think sorting through them looking for similar sizes took longer than actually making it.

I also made a pair of matching earrings and had enough jump rings to make a 2nd bracelet.

I used silver plated jump rings in different sizes. 9mm, 7mm and 4mm. Bracelet toggle clasp and ear wire fishhooks are also silver plated.

All buttons are doubled, like a sandwich.

One little trick I discovered…if unable to find two buttons with the same design on the front, turn them over. The backside can be just as pretty as the front. Works great for the jewelry I am creating with jump rings.

These will all be available in my Etsy Shop shortly.

TGIF… But Nothing Much Going On

Friday, June 27

So far today has turned out to be Lazy Friday. I was so looking forward to today. To get back working on my crafts but with all my doctor’s appointments and my “other stuff” this week, my energy was zapped.

I was however able to work a bit more on my button bracelet last night. All buttons are now sewn on.

I ended up cutting off and replacing a few. I guess if I keep looking, I will change even more but I will leave it as is. I still haven’t decided what to put on the underside to cover the thread.

If the metal bases were square I could use a strip of fabric, leather or some other sturdy type material. But they are oval and will be a challenge. I experimented with adding a peyote strip.

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I won’t be able to do much crafting tomorrow, Saturday, as we have new front entry doors being installed. Don’t know how long they will be here but I am thinking this might be an all day affair. I wish I could go off somewhere nice and quiet such as my local library and stay until they are finished but something tells me I had better stick around. Maybe I can look over their shoulders and offer tips and comments from the Peanut Gallery.

Making a Mesh Button Bracelet…Slow Going

Wednesday, June 25

Made a bit more progress last night.  Now 2 sections are filled with buttons. Two to go.

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Tuesday, June 24

This is a works in progress and has been for about three weeks.

I have been slowly working on it. I know EXACTLY how I want it to look… in my mind. So when the mood hits, I pick it up.

Two weeks ago I connected the mesh discs together with jump rings. Can’t remember now why I switched to larger jump rings. Maybe to reduce the bracelet length.

Then a week ago I added the clasp. I am thinking I should have waited to add the clasp but I wanted to see how it looked before proceeding.

Now I am slowly sewing on the buttons.

I haven’t a clue what I will use to conceal the underside showing all the thread. I have decided to wait until all buttons are sewn on and then maybe an idea will pop into my head on how to finish it off.

Macrame Mini-Bag Line Up

These macrame mini bags are really fast to make. The colors are royal blue, brown, black and lime. I want to make one in many more colors.

4 down.

46 to go.

Each bag took 50 yards of 3 1/2mm braided cord. All except the lime one which is larger. It took 100 yards.

I added decorative buttons and cardboard tags for a different look.

Now a Set… I Added a Macrame Purse to This

Cuff Bracelet and Ohhh My Aching Hands

Tuesday, June 24

Here is my cuff bracelet I made in Monday’s class.

This is my second bracelet made from sterling silver. My first was back in December 2007. The design for that one was diamond shaped with large crystals.

I don’t know if I am cut out for this but I wanted to try it again. My hands ached then and my hands ache now. All that wire straightening, bending, pulling and wrapping. I am going to have to figure out a way to lessen the wear and tear on my hands. Maybe wear gloves.

In class, I had a choice of either the turquoise and bronze above or a mix of bright colors. The sample bracelet used turquoise beads, bronze pearls and 4mm bicone crystals in turquoise and topaz. So I used it as my guide while making mine.

Two different gauges of sterling silver wire were used. 16 ga for the base and 24 ga for wire wrapping.

First, the base was made from 16″ 16 gauge wire. Straightened, bent, cut and shaped to fit my wrist. Then cut ends were wrapped with 24 gauge wire. Next, beads, pearls and crystals were added. Inside base space only allowed for 3 sometimes 4 pieces. I had to constantly be aware of the “shape” of the base and not pull too tight when wrapping or the center would pull in and distort the bracelet frame. I am thinking of inserting a piece of wood next time to maintain the shape.

Finished bracelet measures 6 3/4″ length and 5/8″ width. 101 beads, pearls and crystals were used. It weighs 8 oz.

I am somewhat pleased with the outcome though I do not like how the wire overlaps where the base wire ends connect. I need to work on ways to disguise that area better. If you look closely, it looks kind of messy. (So.. don’t look too closely. )

July will be the month for me to work on my wireworking skills. I am switching Embroidery Month with Wireworking Month. I will probably take a few more classes to help me get started.

Another Busy Week and a Schedule Change

Monday, June 23

This will be another busy week for me with personal stuff.

I decided to take another jewelry making class this month after all. I found a great class on making a cuff bracelet too good to pass up. This class was offered a couple weeks ago but I missed signing up for it by one day. I spoke to the Instructor who offered to teach just little old me TODAY!! Wasn’t that sweet of her!! So that is where I will be later this afternoon. Hopefully I will have a bracelet to show you tomorrow.

Tuesday I go to my eye doctor for a follow up visit to my February cataract surgery. My left eye, the one operated on, is doing ok. Sometimes I see spots. But I believe they are caused by my prolonged stay under my Ott-Lite. The reason I think this is because when I go a week without using it, my eyesight is fine. I will mention this to my eye doctor tomorrow. BTW, he is sooooo cute. Too young for me, but what a dreamboat.

Wednesday, we have a service person coming out to service our ice maker. Have had our GE refrigerator for 13 years and not one service call required until now. Would you believe hubby asked me what did I do with the ice trays from our OLD refrigerator we had before this one!! Give me a break. He is more than welcome to search through the landfill!! Just where DO old refrigerator parts go to die….

Thursday, it is back to the dentist. When I was there last week, he spotted two old fillings in need of replacing. I love my dentist but isn’t it always something. Thank goodness for medical insurance. Don’t know how I would survive without it.

Friday, TGIF!! And some ME TIME!!. I will be able to get back to doing what I want to do 24 x 7.

So…that is my schedule for this week.

OH, and speaking of schedules. I think I am going to switch my Month-by-Month projects around and move Wireworking up to July and Embroidery back. Though I love my new Janome, I just don’t want to spend a month making pillows.

Buttons, Tags & Beads…It’s A Necklace!!

Friday, June 20

Remember this….

I have been working on turning all of this into something for about a week. I tried the ribbon. Just did not work. I wanted to string the lime cube beads on the macrame cord but the cord was too thick to get through the holes. I was going to make a bracelet. My specialty!! But there was just TOO MUCH there for a bracelet.

The designs going through my head kept changing with each roadblock. Nothing seemed to work as I thought it should. But I kept going. Kept thinking.

This is what finally worked.

Three different necklaces to be worn separately or together.

Necklace 1. Lime and purple buttons with lime plastic cube beads on purple metallic cord.

Necklace 2. Lime 11/0 seed beads separated with lime glass beads with purple pony beads sliding back and forth across the seed beads.

Necklace 3. Decorative cardboard tags hanging from purple macrame cord with 10mm gold plated jump rings.

I would have finished two days ago, on Wednesday, but I decided I wanted to double the buttons and also double the tags. I wanted the front and back, no matter which way necklace was viewed to be the same. So back to the craft store I went to buy more buttons and tags. Luckily I was able to find what I needed. They were still in stock.

Though there are more beads in this necklace than buttons, I am still calling this my Button Month contribution.

I have a few more ideas for button projects. More to come.

When Crochet Month Gets Here…

I will be ready…

But I won’t have a clue what to do or how to do it. So I sure hope someone will feel sorry for me, stumbling around, playing with sticks and offer some help.

I got the how-to books and hooks for 50% off!! Woohoo!! At JoAnn’s, the one that is NOT closing. It is about 8 miles from me, HUGE and even has an elevator. It has 10 times the amount of merchandise as my neighborhood store. I hate to see “my” store close but I won’t mind driving the extra 7 miles to get great stuff at great prices.